2021 Ford Kuga St-Line X Ecoblue — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 3,522 MOT tests analysed for the 2021 Ford Kuga St-Line X Ecoblue, the most common recorded failure areas were tyres, visibility and brakes. Its pass rate of 91.7% was in line with the average for cars of a similar age (91.2%). Higher-mileage examples failed more often — 12.1% in the 60-90k group versus 6.8% in the 0-30k group.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 2.9% | 101 |
| 2 | Visibility | 2.4% | 86 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.2% | 76 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 1.6% | 56 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.3% | 45 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.8% | 28 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 72 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 71 |
| 3 | Washers | 56 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 50 |
| 5 | Wipers | 44 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 37 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 18.8% | 661 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.2% | 606 |
| 3 | Other defects | 8.6% | 304 |
| 4 | Suspension | 6.3% | 221 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.7% | 61 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.3% | 12 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 1,831 | 6.8% |
| 30-60k | 1,553 | 9.6% |
| 60-90k | 116 | 12.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 100 | 10.0% |
| 2024 | 1,725 | 8.0% |
| 2025 | 1,697 | 8.5% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Kuga St-Line X Ecoblue
Before buying a 2021 Ford Kuga St-Line X Ecoblue, focus on the areas it most often fails on. Tyres accounted for 2.9% of tests for this year.
- Tyres (2.9% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Visibility (2.4% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Brakes (2.2% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2021 Ford Kuga St-Line X Ecoblues pass their MOT?
91.7% of the 3,522 2021 Ford Kuga St-Line X Ecoblue MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 Ford Kuga St-Line X Ecoblue?
Tyres, recorded in 2.9% of tests, followed by visibility (2.4%).
Does the 2021 Kuga St-Line X Ecoblue get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.8% in the 0-30k band to 12.1% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,522 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-01. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.